Dicyanoborate-based ionic liquids as hypergolic fluids

Abstract

Explosive though stable: Dicyanoborate-based ionic liquids are hypergolic fuels in the presence of white fuming nitric acid as oxidizer (see high-speed picture of the ignition process). With long liquid ranges, low viscosities, and short ignition delay times, these thermally and hydrolytically stable ionic liquids appear to be very promising substitutes for hydrazine and its derivatives as bipropellants. © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.